bailey



Ef G. BAILEY. METHOD 0F OBTAININGA READY COMPARISON 0F FACTQRS IN A `IOWEII PRODUCING 0R USING APPARATUS. `APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3| 1921.

Reissued Ap1. 12v, 1921.

v power producing or using apparatus with METHOD OI. OBTAINING A UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

EnvIN e. BAILEY, or NEWTON IIIGnLANDs, IASSACHUSETTB, ASSIGfl-VO'B"y T0 BAILEY METER COMPANY, A conPoaA'rIoN or MAssAcHUsn'T'rs.

READY conr'AaIsoN or rAcfmng IN A POWER P on USING ArrAaArus. BODUcING Bpccication of Reissued Lette-rs Patent. Reissud 4Apr. 12 1921 0riinal application med February 24, l1913, Serial No. 750,069. Renewed August 84, IQI'I, sem] m, 188,068. Original No. 1,257,964, dated latch 5, 1918. Application for reissue illed latch 8, 1921.

' Serial No. 450,033.

Newton Highlands, in the county of Middler sex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Obtaining a Ready Comparison of Factorsin a Power Producing or Using Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings re resenting like parts.

he resent invention relates to a method of obtaining a ready comparison of two or more differently varying active factors in a a view of adjusting one or more of said factors in order to secure the condition of"de' sired ellicienc at all rates of output.:

The iow o air to sup ort combustion, the

of combustion in the case of a steam boiler plant, the How of fluids in a turbine, engine or pump, the ilow of electricity (which for the purpose of my invention may be regarded as a fluid) in an electric generator or in an electric'vmotor, the flow of liquid fuel or of gaseous fuel to a ower generator, the pressuresof such fluis, the speed of the mov.- ing parts of such an apparatus and the heat of uids in such an apparatus are examples of what I regard as active factors of a power producing or using apparatus within the sco e of my invention. i Y f f n any plarticular piece of apparatus the Ifactors w ,ichy Vare active 4therein vary throughoutthe ran e of output of the apparatus at rates w ich are different from one 'another and the saine factors in different forms of the samekind of apparatus vary at' different rates. It yis therefore impossible to construct in advancel any indicator which will give a ready comparison of the active factors in such a way that any departure in their relation from that corresponding to the vcondition of desired ellicienc may be indicated at all rates of output. yBut have found that by making an empirical hdetermination of the relative value of said factors throughout the rates -of output of the apparatus at the desired eiciency, I can then associate, according to said empirwhatever may tion of the rate of flow of air.

or li uid fuel'is used, there is a similar relawhen there is a condition of desired elli-- ciency, at all rates of output.

In av particular steam rating a paratus, for example, if solid uel is used, t ere is Aa relation between the drop in pressure due to resistance of the -fuel rate of f low of the gases through the fuel bed, which .relation-must be. maintained berthe output of the apparatus in order. to o erate it at the desired efficiency. rIhis re ation is deterininable only b testing the apparatus and may and genera ly does vary t roughout the range of its output at the desired efficiency. There -is also a similar relation between the rate of How of air and the rate of dow of steam, which relation can be found, by comparing some factor,'such asa pressure difference which is a function of the rate of flow of steam, with a similar factor which is a func- If gaseousl tion etween the rate of flow of the gas orliquid andthe rate of flow of air supplied to complete the combustion. is also\a similar relation between the teineratur`e of the flue gases and the rate of eat generation. Any departure in the lrelation of these active factors from that correspondin to the condition of desired iliciency indicates thatthere is some defec in the handling or adjustment of the apparatus which ought to be remedied. i

yIn -the case of a steam operated electric generator, thereis a similar relation between the amount of steam used and the amount of current generated.

- In fact, injall known forms of apparatus for generating or utilizingpower, certain variable active factors are essential to the .operation of the apparatus, and these factors bear certain relations to each other itions of eiliciency exist which can be empirically determined when the desired con bed and theaoy There l `upon a. movable mechanical element. Eachk definitequantity of steam.

invention consists I test the apparatus in question to make an empirical determination by any known methods, such as ressure measurement gas analysis, etc., o the relative value o the factors, above described, when the ap aratus is in the condition of the desired e ciency' throughout the range of output. I cause each factor to. act

factor may act upon one element or two lfactors may act upon the same element.

The elements acted upon may or may not be the same as the devices which are acted upon by the factors in the testing of the apparatus. I then associate the element or `elements acted upon by the factors with a common standard kof comparison according to the empirical determination of-` the relative value of the factors in such a way as to make an observable resentation ofv any departure in the relatlon of the factors from the relation which hasbeen found to exist when the condition is that of desired efficiency at all rates onf output. I am thus able to obtain an indicator which tells by a ready comparison while the apparatus is in practical everyday use, whether or no there is any deviation from such a determined relation.v In the practical application of the method indicators which respond in their operation t`o| the pressure differences or other factors, areI so arranged with relation to each other, or so converted into a `single indicator as to indicate visually any deviation from the previously ascertained relation between the factors. l

In order that the method and the utility thereof may be most easily understood, I

have chosen, as an illustration, the methodsupply, therefore, should result `in .the generation of av definite amount of steam at a given rate of steam generation when the furnace and boiler are in the condition of the desired efliciency. A relation, therefore, exists between the 4rate of flow of air and the rate of flow of steam when such is thev bers, preferably arranged inj proximity to each other or 'otherwise associated, with the several souces of pressure so that the members will be acted upon by the pressuresm ach unit of air such a way that the positions of the members will vary, respectively, as some function of the rate of steam generation from the boiler, the rate of air supply to the furnace, and the condition of the fuel' bed. I then test -the apparatus to determine empirically the relative positions of the several indicating members for various rates of output at the desired efficiency. I then modify and readjust one or more of the indicating members,4 or graduate a scale forming a common standard of comparison, to show their positions, or that of the indicators of any equivalent indicating device I may desire to use, and thereby associate them So that one can readily observel whether or -not the furnacel conditions and other conditions areas theyI should beto obtain the desired efficiency. Moreover, the arrangement is such that if the conditions are not as they should be, one can readily note what changes should be made. For a better understanding of the practical application of my method, I 4.have herein shown a simple device which can be utilized to advanta e.

The drawing is a front elevation o such a device.

Referring to the drawing the .device consists of` three separate modified U-tubes 4, 40 vand 400, of known type, suitably arranged 95 or associated for ready comparison vof the positions of the several columns of liquidI 1n the tubes. The branches 1 and 2 of the U-tube 4 are connected to a Pitot tube,

pipe through which the steam generated in a boiler asses, so that a motion of the `in-4 dicating liquid in leg 3 will respond to any change in the -rabe of flow of steam. ConnectionsfwlO and 20 likewise Ecommunicate with a Pitot tube or similar device in the air or gas passage to or from the furnace, or as is usua 1y most convenient, connect, respectively, by direct connections into the said gas passage at a point where the gases enter and at a point where the gases leave the boilersetting, 'so that a pressure difference is obtained which varies as some function ofindicating liquid Vin the leg 300 will be 120 caused by variations in the drop in pressure4 across the fuel bed. This dro in pressure across the fuel bed varies bot Vas the rate of flow of air through the fuel b ed and as the resistance or condition of said fuel bed, and a comparison of the dio in pressure due tothe resistance of the fue bed with the difference between the pressure of the gases y entering the boiler setting and the pressure of the gases leaving the boiler setting, or laf gas analysis, etc., and, from such data, I de' termine what positions of the indicators in tubes 30 and 300 should correspond to various positions of the indicator in the tube 3 e 'under conditions of the desired efficiency.

After these facts are determined, I associate the indicators inV tubes 3, 30, and 300 and a common standard of comparison by graduating a scale 5, accordin to the positions of the indicators in the tues at several rates of output when the apparatus is working at the desired efficiency. I thus obtain an indicator giving a ready comparison of any departure, in the relation of the air and steam flows and in the resistance of the fuel bed, from the condition of desiredv eiciency, by showin whether or not all the indicating members in this case the ends of the columns of liquid) are on the same graduation of said scale. Therefore, when the fur- `nace is in operation, ifl the indicating members are not on the same graduation it shows that changes should be made in the fuel bed or draft regulations to make the conditions right. F or instance, if the indicator in tube 3 registers with a certain raduation, and the indicator in tube 30 is a ove that aduation, and the indicator in tube 300 is below that graduation, it indicates that there is 4more air passing through the furnace than should be required to generate steam economicall at the' rate at which it is being generate and that this is caused because the resistance of the fuel bed is too low, and

the fuel bed too thin. Or, if the indicators in tubes 30 and 300 register with the same graduation while the indicator in tube 3 is below that graduation, it shows that too much air is being supplied, although the fuel bed has the ri ht average resistance. This reading-shows t at the fuel bed is too thick in some parts of the grate and too thin in others, and that it should be leveled in order to utilize the air more effectively.

In the above descri tion, the pressure differences which are ctions of the rates of flow and fuel bed resistance, are the varying active factors, and are utilized tooperate the movable elements. Furthermore, the U-tube gages and the graduated scale have been chosen as an illustration on account of the simplicity of this device as a means for completing the invention. t

In cases, however, where ressure differences are not alone available or the purpose of operating the movable elements as in the case of a steam operated electric generator, a movable element, the positionl 'of which varies with variations in the current output (for example, the pointer of `an indicating Watt-meter) can be associated With an indieating' steam meter.4 In a similar way, a thermometercan be used-when Variable temperature is one' of the factors. In -all these cases the method of showing any departure from economical conditions is the same.4

The invention, therefore, is? capable of wide and varying uses, and doesnot depend in any way upon the use of any specific -instrument or device.

n What I claim is:

l. The method of obtaining a ready comactive factors in a power producing or using lapparatus with the'view of adjusting one or more of said factors in order to securefthe parison of two or morediiferently varying 1 tors to act upon a corresponding movable mechanical element, and associating said elements upon which the factors act and a common standard of comparison according to Said empirical determination to make an observable presentation of any departure in the yrelation of the said factors from that corresponding to the condition of desired all rates of output, which consists in testing said apparatus to make an empirical determinatlon of the relation of the rate of flow of one iuid to the rate -of iow of another fluid throughout the range of output of 'the apparatus at the desired efficiency, causing forces each of which is a function of one of said rates of iiow to act upon a corresponding movable mechanical element, and asso# ciating said elements upon which the forces act and a common standard of comparison according to said empirical determlnation to make an observable presentation` of any departure in the relation lof the rates of flow of said fluids from that corresponding to the condition of desired efficiency at all rates of output.

3. The method of obtainin a ready comparison of the rates of the ow of air and steam in a steam nerating'apparatus with the view of adjusting the rate of flow of one the condition of desired eiciency at all rates of output, which consists in testing said apporatus to make an empirical determination of the relation of the rate of flow of air to the rate of flow of steam throughout the range of output of the apparatus at the desired eiciency, causi a force which is a function of the rate of ow of air and a :force which, is a function of the rate of iiow of steam, each to act upon a movable mechanical element, and associating each element upon which the forces act and a common standard ofcomparisonaccording to said empirical determination to make an observable presentation of any departure in the relation of the rates of iilow of said air and steam from that corresponding to the condi-. i

tion of desired eiciency at all rates of outut. p 4. The method of .obtaining a ready indication of the resistance ofthe fuel bed to the passage of air therethrough in a furnace using solid fuelwith a view of stoking the fire, which consists in testing said furnace t0 make an empirical determination of the relation of the drop in pressure across the fuel bed and the rate of ilow of gases through said fuel bed throu hout the range of output of heat ener of e furnace at the desired resistance ol the fuel bed, causing forces which are respectively functions of said drop in pressure and of said rate of ow each to associating each element upon which the forces act and a common standard of comparlson according to said empirical determiact upon amovable mechanical-element, Aand nation to make an observable` presentation of l n departure in the resistance of the fuel from that corresponding to the desired resistance at all rates of output of heat ener. 5. he herein described method of showing at all times any departure from the con-4 dition of best efliciency in a power producing apparatus, which method consists 1n testing said apparatus to determinev empirically vat each and every rate of output throughoutv the range of operation of the apparatus the .re-

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

p ERVIN G. BAILEY. Witnesses: f

M. E. CovENEY, Jamas J. MALONEY. 

